NYTimes To Curlies: Drop Dead

The New York Times ran a piece, "Taming Summer Curls." Only three products are listed, and two are for straightening hair. Now if they can run product pieces on how to fake a tan in which they sample several products, they can take the trouble to research new products for curlies that work.

It's disturbing how they don't get it. In their view, if you don't have straight hair you must want straight hair or you don't exist.

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2/c Coarse hair med. density.
Highly porous. Color over grey.
I love all the Curl Junkie products. Still experimenting with gels and curl creams. Still hoping for 2nd day hair.... Every day is a gift :flower:

If more curly folks began accepting their hair (like we do), the Times and other publications wouldn't feel perfectly comfortable writing articles like this. For every one of us (curl-embracing curlies), I run into ten more who are quick to agree w/straighties that their curls are horrible and all they want is straightened hair.

When 60%+ of the population has non-straight hair and maybe 80% of those wavy/curly people support straightening products, The NYT is (sadly) playing up the products that most curly-haired people are interested in buying. They are catering to what most of their target audience wants.

Too many straight-haired folks have said things to me like, "Your hair is amazing, but you probably hate it, right?" Why do they say that? Oh yeah, because too many curlies actually do respond to curly compliments by saying they hate their hair :cussing: ... I think we need to own that a lot of our curly kinfolk are the reason these straightening articles exist and work. At the same time, thank goodness we're upset about it because it does need to change.

If more curly folks began accepting their hair (like we do), the Times and other publications wouldn't feel perfectly comfortable writing articles like this. For every one of us (curl-embracing curlies), I run into ten more who are quick to agree w/straighties that their curls are horrible and all they want is straightened hair.

When 60%+ of the population has non-straight hair and maybe 80% of those wavy/curly people support straightening products, The NYT is (sadly) playing up the products that most curly-haired people are interested in buying. They are catering to what most of their target audience wants.

Too many straight-haired folks have said things to me like, "Your hair is amazing, but you probably hate it, right?" Why do they say that? Oh yeah, because too many curlies actually do respond to curly compliments by saying they hate their hair :cussing: ... I think we need to own that a lot of our curly kinfolk are the reason these straightening articles exist and work. At the same time, thank goodness we're upset about it because it does need to change.

That is definitely a great perspective. It is some of those curlies, who don't like their hair, that will further reinforce businesses to advocate how to 'change' their hair and go straight. Very good point!

If more curly folks began accepting their hair (like we do), the Times and other publications wouldn't feel perfectly comfortable writing articles like this. For every one of us (curl-embracing curlies), I run into ten more who are quick to agree w/straighties that their curls are horrible and all they want is straightened hair.

When 60%+ of the population has non-straight hair and maybe 80% of those wavy/curly people support straightening products, The NYT is (sadly) playing up the products that most curly-haired people are interested in buying. They are catering to what most of their target audience wants.

Too many straight-haired folks have said things to me like, "Your hair is amazing, but you probably hate it, right?" Why do they say that? Oh yeah, because too many curlies actually do respond to curly compliments by saying they hate their hair :cussing: ... I think we need to own that a lot of our curly kinfolk are the reason these straightening articles exist and work. At the same time, thank goodness we're upset about it because it does need to change.

That is definitely a great perspective. It is some of those curlies, who don't like their hair, that will further reinforce businesses to advocate how to 'change' their hair and go straight. Very good point!

Korkscrew, you REALLY nailed it here. As much as I disagree with elements of society trying to get people to conform to a certain way, I think the natural curlies (even wavies) that choose to straighten their hair are also enablers for stories like the NYT and let's face it, NYT has a lot of influence. Samanthacurlz, it's good that you are embracing yours at a young age. If I did it, my curls would be even better than now but you live and learn. Well said, Korkscrew.

It's so sad that straight hair is the standard of beauty. It angers me that even today we still let the media and society define beauty for us. I can't wait for the day when media and society will embrace natural beauty, but won't hold my breathe.

Ugh. Same old same old, even in these times when there are starting to be more types of beauty.
They make it sound like "frizz" is the worst thing in the world. I guess in their eyes anything that's not straight is "frizzy". One example of "enabling" that is mentioned here I actually witnessed at my old hair cutter in Santa Fe when I lived there. A Hispanic woman with curls to die for, wanted her hair blown dry after her haircut by my cutter who was quite good BTW. Both he and I piped up and told her that her curls were beautiful just as they were, but she said she "wasn't ready" to wear her hair curly, so she got it blown dry anyway.
Basically, I pay extremely little attention to so-called curly hair articles in magazines because often they're not even using people with true waves and curls to begin with. Or they'll make a big deal about some curly hair style coming up, and one turns the page and sees someone who has obviously had the curling iron on her straight hair to add a few very loose waves.
Believe me, like many here, I went through my own curl-hating period, before wising up to accept my textures, but that was when I was a lot younger. I found a good curly hair cutter when in my mid-20s and never looked back. I'm now 66, and if anyone tells me at my age that curly hair is not appropriate, you know exactly how far that will go. 'Nuf said!

Caramix3a I agree. Curls can be beautiful & hope one day people will embrace their hair the way it is.

And what curlies who opt to straighten their don't realize is that it actually takes longer to straighten. When I first started growing my hair out eight years ago I'd blow dry it and use the round styling brush but I found that took too longer. I only go that route if I need to look more polished say for a job interview otherwise, it's all about rockin' the curls.

I've worn my hair curly for my entire life. But I realize that some people choose to straighten their hair, just as some people with straight hair choose to get perms. It's just as wrong for us to go on a tirade about curlies straightening their hair as it is for society to go on a tirade about us choosing to wear our curls with pride. The whole idea is to allow people to feel free to wear their hair how they choose to wear it. So the NYT piece included options for curls and for straightening curls. I'm not trying to play devil's advocate, but as one of the previous posters mentioned, the article was designed to give their audience what they wanted.

I hate articles like this. I have beautiful nieces who have the most beautiful curls! I tell them all the time how beautiful they are with those curls and ringlets. I was having a hard time convincing my 6 year old niece that her curls were super special (because her mom straightens her hair....grrrr). She told me that she wanted to have straight hair like mommy. I sighed to myself. But, as luck would have it, I looked over and saw my Hans Christian Anderson's Little Mermaid book. I grabbed the book and showed her the pictures of the mermaid with her beautiful curls. I asked her to think about it, how many mermaids have you seen WITHOUT curls? She thought about it...and said none! I said EXACTLY. And then I whispered in her ear, that legend has it there was a mermaid in our family many years ago. And that maybe that's why her mom's hair is curly, my hair is curly, and why she and her sister have curly hair....because we may very well be part mermaid. She looked up and me and gave me the HUGEST smile. Mission Accomplished!

Mix of 3A and 3B
Wash: Recently changed to using low sulfate shampoos. I love it. My hair needs all residue removed to get any volume.
Conditioner: Kinky Curly Knot today
Styler: AG Recoil (I have eliminated everything but AGRecoil. My hair has tons of volume and bounce.)
In high humidity: a dime/nickle size of gel lightly scrunched on the canopy. FINALLY I found a way that doesn't kill my hair volume.

promoting curl enhancing, volumizing and texturizing products next week, because the bottom line is WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Think of the billions that are made convincing us that our natural hair texture and color isn't attractive, that not only do we need cosmetics, we need daytime and evening looks, etc. Some styles of SPANX come in extra-smalls! We feel like our shoes have to match our outfit and our bag has to match our shoes and we have to dress in the seasons latest colors and styles, which change every year. Why? BECAUSE WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

I think it's just more of the industry ******** which is ultimately about making $$$ and lots of them. Sure,men spend money on clothes and hair products, even plastic surgery, but nothing like women do.

promoting curl enhancing, volumizing and texturizing products next week, because the bottom line is WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Think of the billions that are made convincing us that our natural hair texture and color isn't attractive, that not only do we need cosmetics, we need daytime and evening looks, etc. Some styles of SPANX come in extra-smalls! We feel like our shoes have to match our outfit and our bag has to match our shoes and we have to dress in the seasons latest colors and styles, which change every year. Why? BECAUSE WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH.

I think it's just more of the industry ******** which is ultimately about making $$$ and lots of them. Sure,men spend money on clothes and hair products, even plastic surgery, but nothing like women do.

I agree, it's not just hair, it's other things too. No matter what, we are constantly told that something always needs to be changed, like your examples. It then further inhibits an individual to never truly be happy with themselves.